Preference

Main game rules

The card deck for preference consists of 32 cards, 4 suits per 8 cards: from Ace to 7.

The suits are ordered, from low to high, as follows: ♠ spades, ♣ clubs, ♦ diamonds, ♥ hearts.

The cards in a suit are ordered, from low to high, as follows: 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace.

One of suites can be declared to be a trump then any trump card is higher than not a trump one. The cards order is kept in a trump suit.

The first card landed on a table is called a lead.

During the lead a player is obliged to land one card of the same suit. If a player doesn’t have such a suit he is obliged to land a trump. In case there is no trump it is possible to land any card.

The trick is taken by the player who landed the highest (including among trumps) card in this trick.

The right of the first bidding and the first lead in the preference are passed from one player to the other. A player who has the right of the first lead and the first bidding is called the «first hand», a player who is the next – the «second hand» and last player – the «third hand».

Games versions in preference

There are three groups of games in preference – trick-taking games, Misere and All pass.

In trick-taking games a player is obliged to take such quantity of tricks that was not less than he declared during the bidding. Game can be with a trump and without a trump. The purpose of other players is to prevent him from doing this, i.e. to take tricks as many as possible (if possible).

Bidding Misere a player is obliged not to take any tricks. On the contrary other players try to induce him to take tricks.

Each player tries to take tricks as less as possible in the All pass round.

Possible game biddings in preference

Trick-taking games and Misere are ranged in the following way: minimum quantity of tricks which can be ordered – 6, maximum – 10.

It is possible to play without a trump (w/o T). Such a game is ordered higher than the game with trumps in case of the same quantity of tricks.

The contracts sequence during the bidding from low to high

The key idea of the game in preference is the following: examining your own cards to order and play the most favourable contract.

Scoring in preference

Results of games in preference are registered in a pool, mountain and whists.

A player gains points in the pool for the played contract. A player ordered the contract but failed to play it, writes the contract value per each undertrick into his mountain. Defenders write whists for each taken trick. And in case they didn’t take enough quantity of tricks they get penalty in the mountain.

The game report of the pool record, mountain and whists is also called a pool.

The versions of preference which are different in the games and pass-out rounds value, whists allocation between players, bidding features, are called conventions. The most widespread conventions are «Piter», «Sochi» and «Rostov».

Bidding

Three players play in every deal. 10 cards are handed. Two remained cards are called a talon and nobody knows what cards are there until the moment of the bidding end.

The bidding purpose is to get the right to take a talon and declare the most favourable contract.

The bidding process in Preference consists of the following. Every player by turn and clockwise can make a bid for a game or refuse to play in a game. When bidding a player is obliged to specify clearly the game type and when refusing from the game – to say «pass». A player who said «pass» doesn’t participate in the further bidding. It is possible to make only one bid in one’s turn. The lowest available bid is for the declarer to take 6 tricks with spades as a trump i.e. «6 in spades». The following player can bid only higher game (according to the games value in the table) that is «6 in clubs». «6 in diamonds» can be the only following bid and etc. If a player doesn't wish to go on bidding further he can say «pass» in his turn. The last player who didn’t say «pass» participated in the bidding and made the highest bid, gets the contract and the right to take the talon.

If all three players said «pass» then «All pass» round is played – a game when everybody tries to take tricks as less as possible.

The contract bid

After the bidding end the talon is open. Every player can see it. Then this talon is taken by the player who got the contract. The player takes the talon and discards any two cards. After that he needs to declare a game. It is possible to declare any game but not lower when the bidding has stopped. There is one exception – Misere. Misere can be bid only in the beginning. That is it is not possible to bid at first «six in spades» and then in the following bidding circle – «Misere».

If a player took the talon he is obliged to declare a game even if it can't be won.

Game on tricks

A player participated in the bidding and took the talon is obliged to declare a game not lower than the one when the bidding stopped.

The game is declared after the discarding.

The declarer is obliged to take a certain quantity of tricks. If a player doesn't take the necessary number of tricks then the penalty is recorded in his mountain. The penalty size depends on undertricking number. This situation is called remise.

If a player took the declared number of tricks then a special record is done in the pool. The scoring size depends on the specified game.

If a player took more tricks than it was necessary for the declared game – for example, he declared 6 in tricks and took 7 – the record will be in accordance to the declared game.

The game on tricks is played if it is whisted. It means that at least one of the opponents said «whist» and thus this player is obliged to take a certain number of tricks. If all players said «pass» then the contract is considered fulfilled without playing the hand and appropriate records are done in the pool.

Whist

After the contract was ordered other players need to decide whether they are ready to take the given number of tricks in this very game or not. If a player realizes that he can take the necessary number of tricks, he says «whist» and if he can’t, he says «pass».

Whisting – to make the contract – is possible «closed» and «open». If both players said «whist» then the whist is always played blindly. If one player whists and the other passes then the whisting player choses the type of the whist – open or closed. If an «open» whist is chosen then the cards of defenders are laid out on the table and the whisting player can play both his cards and the cards of the player who said «pass».

If a declarer has the right of the first lead then the players need to agree before the game beginning when to open cards – before the first lead or after the first lead of the declarer.

If one of the players said «whist» then he is obliged to take a certain number of tricks (see the table). The player who said «pass» doesn’t have such an obligation.

The defender records for each trick a certain number of points (whists) on the declarer.

If both opponents whist then in case of not taking enough tricks (remise), except for the whists on actual tricks, a player who is undertricked writes a penalty in the mountain.

On the contract of 8, 9 and 10 tricks the responsibility for the undertricking is on the player who whisted the second (the responsibility can be agreed to be shared between the defenders).

If a declarer undertricked the defenders in addition to whists for actual tricks gain consolation – the award for the undertricking of the declarer.

The consolation value, its allocation between players, quantity of points for a trick depend on the preference conventions.

If a player sitting clockwise after the declarer said «pass» then the next player can say «half-whist». It means that he without the game agrees on the half norm of whists and the game is considered to be played. For a contract of 6 in tricks «half-whist» value is 2 tricks, for 7 – 1 trick. After the partner said «half-whist» then the player who said «pass» before has the right to return the whist saying «whist». If the game is played by 4 people then the fourth player can return the whist. If one player said «pass» and another said «half-whist» and the first one said «pass» once again - the fourth player has the right to see the cards of one of two players and to return the whist. If the whist is returned then the partner who said «half-whist» loses the right to whist and is obliged to say «pass».

On the contract of 8, 9 tricks the second player can't leave for a half-whist. The fourth player can whist on cards of only one of players who said «pass».

Misere

Misere is a game when the declarer is obliged not to take any tricks.

Misere is possible to be bid only in a case when a player in the current deal didn’t do any bidding. Misere can be outranked by the contract of 9 tricks during the bidding (or if agreed, by 10 tricks).

Misere is played without trumps. All other rules for the tricks taking are kept (higher ranking card takes the lower one; it is obligatory to put the suit on the suit; it is possible to play any card in case a player has no suit or a trump card; the winner of each trick leads the next trick).

If all three players declared «pass» then «All pass» round is played. «All pass» round is a game when all players try to take tricks as less as possible.

There are no trumps in «All pass» round.

The game starts from the one by one consecutive opening of the talon cards.

When there are three players in the game then a card from the talon is just a suit and the one who landed the highest card takes this trick.

When there are four players in the game then the fourth player is the owner of the card from the talon. Therefore if this card takes a trick then this trick is considered to be his trick and written in his mountain accordingly.

In the Rostov version of preference the cards of the talon are not open.

There are different game and results record features of «All pass» round in different conventions of preference.

Besides, players can agree before the game beginning about the following features: progressing «All pass» round – tricks value increases if several deals of «All pass» round go on in a row. Progression versions (arithmetic, geometrical) and progression limit are also agreed beforehand.

The played game stops «All pass» rounds. Such a game can be 6 (any played 6 trick game), 7 and 8 trick game.

Contract value

Every contract has a certain number of points which a player writes either in a pool in case he successfully played the contract or in a mountain if he undertricked. When whisting, the player writes whists for each trick. If a whisting player undertricked he writes simultaneously both whists and the penalty in the mountain. When remise of the declarer the whisting player writes a consolation – the award for the undertricking of the declarer. The size of the award, whists allocation, whists value, contracts value varies depending on the version (convention) of the preference. As a result of all records for each contract the balance of the won and lost whists is formed. That is the contract value.

The key rules of the Russian preference are presented in this section. Full rules are stated in the preference Code.